3 ms·
Watt isn’t a measure of energy. Without how long it takes for a human and ChatGPT to solve the task then the comparison doesn’t teach anything
by JustFinishedBSG 1y ago
Watt isn’t a measure of energy. Without how long it takes for a human and ChatGPT to solve the task then the comparison doesn’t teach anything
- roschdal 1y agoYou're absolutely right — watt is a unit of power, not energy. To make a meaningful comparison, we need to estimate how much energy (in joules) each system uses to solve the same task. Let’s define a representative task: answering a moderately complex question. 1. Human Brain Power use: ~20 watts (on average while awake) Time to think: ~10 seconds to answer a question Energy used: 20 watts × 10 seconds = 200 joules 20watts×10seconds=200joules 2. ChatGPT (GPT-4) Estimate per query: Based on research and datacenter estimates, GPT-4 may use: Around 2–3 kWh per 1000 queries, which is 7.2–10.8 megajoules Per query: 7.2 MJ 1000 = 7200 joules 1000 7.2MJ =7200joules per response (lower bound) 10.8 MJ 1000 = 10 , 800 joules 1000 10.8MJ =10,800joules per response (upper bound) Comparison Human: ~200 joules ChatGPT: ~7,200 to 10,800 joules Conclusion: The human brain is about 36–54 times more energy-efficient than ChatGPT at answering a single question. Or in percent: 3,600% to 5,400% more efficient